A Good Time Cowboy Casanova
by ShadowPhantom14
Summary: Trying to escape from one of Eggman's new traps, Shadow's Chaos Control goes wrong and he winds up in a dimension set in... the old west? When Robotnik the bounty hunter arrives, things get serious and Shadow finds himself falling for Sheriff Sonic.
1. The Wild, Wild West

This wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be a simple 'get in, get out' data retrieval mission. But the Doctor had stepped up his game. What kind of prison chamber was this, anyway? I had never seen anything like it. None of my attacks had any effect on the glowing blue forcefield.

Come on Shadow, think! For the moment I was alone, but I knew that wouldn't last. I had to escape before the Doctor came back. There was only one thing I hadn't tried. Chaos Control. But in this strange chamber I had no idea if it would work or not. Well, I had no other choice.

I called forth the energy and let it surround me as I uttered the command under my breath. "Chaos Control." Normally everything would blur and when my vision returned to normal I would be somewhere else. That didn't happen. The energy exploded off the walls of the chamber, coming back at me with full force. I blacked out when it hit.

I'm not sure how long I was out, but when I awoke I had definitely traveled somewhere. I stood up slowly, checking my balance and seeing if all of my limbs were still functioning. They were. I don't know where I was, but it looked like I had walked straight into a western. The only thing I recognized was that the ground still had the familiar checkered pattern of most Hill Zones.

The wind picked up a bit and I shielded my eyes from the dust. When I lowered my hand Sonic was standing in front of me, but he was wearing a cowboy hat and a vest with a Sheriff badge pinned on it. What the hell was going on?

"Howdy, pardner. Ya new in town?" I was in a western town, Sonic was dressed as Sheriff and he was speaking with a southern accent. Either I was having the strangest dream ever, or he and his friends were playing a prank on me.

If it was a dream I would wake up eventually. If it was a prank, I wasn't going to let them think they got me. I would play along for now. "Yeah, I'm new in town." I said, looking around. He gave me that cocky smile of his and replied, "Well then, welcome to Station Square. They call it that on account of the train station. Come on, I'll show ya 'round." He grabbed my hand and dragged me down the dusty checkered road.

"This here's the saloon." He said as we stopped in front of a building. He continued talking as he led me in. "Woman named Rouge runs the place. She's a wonderful lady. So's the gal who plays the piano there. Her name's Amy."

Damn, if this wasn't a dream they really went all out on setting this up. Behind the counter I could see Rouge filling drinks. She was in a long black dress with a pink heart printed on the chest. Knuckles was sitting at the counter with a hat similar to Sonic's lying next to his cup. Off to the side and playing the piano skillfully was Amy. She was in a long red dress with white lace.

She waved at Sonic before going back to her music. How was she playing so well? She never said she could play. Sonic saw her wave and waved back with a weak smile. "Sweet girl, but not my type." He whispered to me.

"Sonic, what's going on?" I didn't want to deal with this anymore. I've never seen him look so confused before. "I'm introducin' ya to the townsfolk." He was still keeping up his act. "I'm being serious." I said forcefully. He still had the confused look as he replied, "So am I. How'd ya know my name?"

My mind reeled as I thought of possible reasons for everyone acting like this. It wasn't a prank, that was for sure. Maybe it was a dream after all? But if it was a dream I would have been able to force myself awake like I've done before with nightmares about that day… So it wasn't a dream. Where had Chaos Control taken me? Another dimension?

Sonic had once mentioned a place where everyone was knights in a medieval type world. Maybe this was a variation? I sighed, thinking of how to explain. "I'm from far away. There was an accident and I woke up here. I don't know how I got here and I'm trying to get home. And I know someone who looks a lot like you and his name is Sonic."

After my explanation Sonic smiled and said, "I'll help ya find your way home, stranger. By the way, did your Sonic ever tell ya that you are lookin' mighty fine?" What? I thought back to a book Maria had once read to me. It was a romance set in the old west, and the cowboy had called the girl 'mighty fine' as a compliment and way to flirt.

Was Sonic hitting on me? "Huh?" was all I could manage to say. He laughed at me and smiled, making me unsure as to whether he was joking or not. It was strange, but I can't say I didn't like it. It felt good to know someone liked me. I didn't care what gender they were, it felt good anyway.

"So stranger, what's your name?" Sonic asked as he took a seat at a table. I sat across from him and replied, "Shadow." He leaned back in his chair and flicked the brim of his hat so it wasn't covering his eyes. "Can I call ya Shads? Everyone here's got a nickname if their name's too long."

Maria used to call me Shads. Damn it, cowboy Sonic here was messing with my feelings. First he complimented me, then he wanted to use Maria's pet name for me. My brain said 'no, only very special friends can call me that' but my mouth said, "Sure."

I instantly regretted it. How could I be so stupid? He seemed happy though. He let the legs of the chair fall back to the wooden floor as he placed his elbows on the table. "Well then, you might be here a while, so ya need to look the part. Nilly should have a hat ya can use."

"Who's Nilly?" I asked. I recognized Rouge, Amy Knuckles and Sonic, so I figured everyone else would have a part to play in this world, but I didn't know anyone named Nilly. Sonic stood up and pointed out the window toward the General Goods store.

"It's short for Vanilla. She and her daughter run the store. Blaze'll show ya. She's good friends with Nilly's little girl." He went up to the counter and spoke with Rouge for a moment. She pointed over to a dark corner of the saloon, which was where Sonic went.

When he came back to me he was with a purple cat in a lavender dress. I recognized her from Sonic's birthday party a few weeks back. She and Silver had hung out together. Sonic flicked his hat again and backed up a few steps. "I'll let ya get to know each other. Don't get too friendly now though. I got my sights set on ya." He winked at me before walking away.

I knew it! He _was _flirting with me! Despite how much I disliked Sonic, I couldn't stop myself from smiling at this version of him. He was very forward, but I kind of liked it. I had never had someone like me that way before.

Blaze smiled at me and said, "Hello. It's nice to meet you good sir." I immediately noticed that she didn't have the same accent. "You talk differently." She bowed a little and replied, "I'm from further north. I haven't stayed here long enough to acquire the accent. The sheriff tells me you're new in town. Come on, we'll get you appropriate clothing."

I followed her out of the saloon and walked down the dusty checkered road again. About a block down the road was the General Goods store. Blaze led me in and I saw Cream stocking some shelves. Her mother was behind the counter.

Cream was wearing a small orange dress with frilly sleeves. Her mother had the same outfit, but a different size and a red bandanna around her neck. Blaze knelt down and tapped Cream on the shoulder.

The little rabbit looked up and smiled, giving the cat a hug. She then ran off to her mother, who called us over. Blaze explained what she knew of my situation and Vanilla went into the back room. When she came back it was with a hat similar to Sonic's, except this one had a red stripe around it. She also had a matching vest.

I took it and thanked her as Blaze paid and put the vest on. I didn't mind the vest, but the hat was too much. I was not going to wear a ridiculous cowboy hat. I walked out with Blaze, wondering how much longer it would be before I could get home.

I couldn't use Chaos Control again. There was no chaos energy here, so I had to find another way home. On the way back to the saloon we ran into Tails. He didn't have a hat, but he was wearing the same vest as Sonic. His had a deputy badge.

"Have you seen the sheriff? Ivo's just up the hill." He said worriedly. Blaze paled and pointed to the saloon. When Tails ran off she dragged me there with her. The name Ivo sounded familiar. Yes, Ivo Robotnik. So the Doctor had a parallel here too?

Tails was explaining something to Sonic when we arrived. He pulled the brim of his hat down, a serious look in his eyes. "Gotchya. Ivo ain't gonna make it to town this time." He headed toward the exit, but stopped for a moment to shove my new hat on me. The look in his eyes shifted from angry to happy, and I didn't take the hat off.

Damn it, how was he doing that? How was he messing with my emotions just by looking at me? The Sonic I knew couldn't do that. When he looked at me like that all I felt was irritation. But this Sonic… After putting my hat on the angry look came back and he stormed out of the saloon, presumably to fight Ivo. I ran after him and so did Tails. Sonic wouldn't fight alone.


	2. A Bullet for Love

This was ridiculous. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing at the Doctor. His western-style outfit just seemed odd on a man his size. He was dressed like a human cowboy, but his proportions made it laughable.

Sonic and Tails were taking him seriously though. Ivo had arrived on horseback (I'm surprised the horse could carry him) a few moments ago. We were at the edge of town and I thought it was going to be a civilized conversation.

Like anything involving Sonic however, it got chaotic. "Ya ain't allowed in town Ivo. No bounty hunters. If someone's breakin' the law I'll deal with 'em myself." Sonic said forcefully. Tails nodded, backing up the sheriff's opinion.

Ivo climbed off his horse and pulled a gun on the duo. "Hedgehog, I only kill people who deserve it." Tails stepped in front of Sonic, surprising him. "Tikal didn't deserve it. Neither did Maria and her old man. Ya kill innocent people. Now get out, or we're gonna make ya."

I didn't know who Tikal was, but I had heard him mention Maria as well. He had killed Maria's parallel? And 'her old man' meant her father, whom I assumed in this world was the Professor. When it came to those two, I wasn't able to control my emotions. "Ivo, you either get out now or I'll kill you myself."

I took a few steps toward the Doctor, ready to take his gun from him, but Sonic pulled me back. "We don't harm people Shads. We don't stoop to his level." I don't know what happened then. Tails had mentioned the two people I cared about most, and Sonic's words had echoed something Maria once told me.

I wanted to push him away and tell him not to call me that, not to say things like that, but I just fell to my knees. I could hear the Doctor laughing and saying, "Aw, the new guy havin' a moment? Well sorry, but I ain't got time for ya'll to be gettin' in my way."

I heard him load the gun, then the familiar sound of Sonic and Tails fighting with Eggman as I stood up and watched. Punches, kicks, Sonic pulled a special wind/miniature tornado move with Tails' help, ect. "Now are gonna have to call in the townsfolk to back us up, or are ya gonna be civilized and leave?" Sonic asked.

Ivo shakily stood up, ignoring the fact that his clothes were now tattered and he had many bruises. "I'll be back. Ya'll can count on it. But first…" There was a gunshot and pain exploded in my leg as I fell. The Doctor laughed and rode off, and I fully expected Sonic to chase him, but no. He stayed.

Tails said something about getting 'the doc' before running back into town. Sonic pulled off one of his gloves and used it to wrap my wound like a bandage. "You're gonna be all right Shads." He said as he threw my arm over his shoulder and helped me stand.

I tried to push him off. "I can walk. Let go." One bullet would only hinder me for a few minutes before my leg healed itself. I did manage to make him let go, but only for a second before he held me again. "I ain't lettin' ya fall."

He helped me back into town, by which time I had managed to get my leg mostly working. I had a slight limp but it was nothing bad. I saw Tails run up to us, and he had Blaze following behind. That cat was a doctor?

"Oh dear." She glanced at my wound and pulled off the bloody glove. "You'll need to sit down. Sheriff, please hold him still. Tails, hand me my kit." Tails gave her what looked like a white toolbox with a red cross printed on it.

As I was watching those two I was caught off guard when Sonic grabbed my torso from behind. "Do as the lady says. Don't move." It was hard not to when he had startled me like that. And now I knew what it felt like to have your heart skip a beat. Though I couldn't tell if had skipped from fright or something else…

No, it wasn't from something else. I had just met him. I did not like him like that. Did I? I felt Blaze poke into my wound to retrieve the bullet and it hurt like hell, but I didn't say anything. When she was done she wrapped the wound and stood back up. She looked happy with her work.

"All right, we're done here. Try not to walk on it." I rolled my eyes. With my advanced healing I would be able to walk within an hour. I noticed that even though Blaze had finished, Sonic didn't let go of me. The cat did a small bow again before walking off, talking to Tails who was following her.

Now I was alone with the sheriff. "Uh, are you gonna let go, Sonic?" He didn't say anything but I saw his hands release me. I was about to stand up when I felt lips pressed against my head. He had kissed me?

"Sonic!" I quickly stood up and spun around to glare at him. If my Sonic had done that he would've been laughing about it because he was teasing. This Sonic's face was turning red. "Sorry, Shads. Was just glad you're okay." I sighed. I couldn't hate him no matter how hard I tried. That was another way he differed from my Sonic. "Let's just get back. You promised you'd help me get home."

He stood up and readjusted his hat, silent for a moment. "How'd ya get here in the first place? Train or horseback? Most folks take the train." He may have been good at messing with my emotions, but he was ignorant when it came to many other things.

"I got here by using Chaos Control. It's a very fast means of transportation, but I can't use it to get back." I explained. It was unusual how this world had no chaos energy. I was very sensitive to it and could feel it in the air normally. I could manipulate it at will. Here, there was none. It was like a void, and it felt strange. Like I was a puzzle with a missing piece.

Sonic scratched his head, confused. "Ain't never heard of that. Well, we'll think of somethin'. Where ya from?" He was only making it harder to explain. "Sonic, I'm from a place you can't get to by normal transportation. It's going to take some very advanced technology to get me back home." That or chaos energy, but I didn't say that aloud.

He was silent again, so I assumed he was thinking. I waited until he finally spoke. "We ain't got much for technology 'round these parts. A few rifles carried by bandits and bounty hunters, the lamps in the buildins and the steam train. I s'pose we could use the train somehow."

Finally a good idea. Given the right materials I could modify the train to travel between dimensions. That would take a while though. That meant I was stuck here for the time being. Sonic smiled at me, as if he knew I had liked his idea. I think I smiled back.

It took a lot to make me smile these days, but that hedgehog had done it. I still had no idea how. He started walking back to the saloon, motioning for me to follow. "In the mean time, ya'll enjoy yourself here. Kay?"

I reluctantly nodded. I would have to make the most of this 'adventure'. As we walked my mind wandered back to my dimension. How were Rouge and Omega doing? Was anyone wondering where I was?

I sat at a table in the corner while Sonic chatted with his friends. I noticed Tails and Blaze were talking with each other near the counter. I watched the familiar scene of Sonic denying Amy a date as I listened to the fox and the cat in the background.

"The sheriff's certainly taken to the newcomer, hasn't he?" Blaze asked. Tails replied with, "Newcomer's named Shadow. And yeah, Sonic's really taken to him. Dunno why." Blaze sounded confused when she said, "I thought he liked Amy. I know she certainly likes him."

Amy hung her head and managed a weak smile as Sonic left her to go to the counter. I got up and went over the piano to talk to the girl. "Hey." She looked up at me, her face a mixture of sadness and annoyance. "Stay away from him. I've been tryin' to win him over since I met him, and I ain't gonna lose him. 'specially not to a man. It ain't right."

Well, she was just as possessive as the Amy I knew. I gave her a disapproving look as I crossed my arms. "Doesn't matter the gender, Amy. And I'm not trying to take him. He can choose whoever he wants. It's not my fault, so don't go blaming me."

She just looked at me, her expression unreadable. I went back to my table just as Sonic came to me with drinks. He set one on my side of the table with a smirk. "Money's on me. Enjoy." When he looked at me with those emerald green eyes of his, I knew the meaning of the expression 'butterflies in your stomach'.

Maybe being here wouldn't be so bad after all…


End file.
